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On the Oceans of Eternity
|Next_book = }}This is the third book of the 'Nantucket' trilogy and describes the progress of the war against the psychotic William Walker and his allies. Kar-Duniash Babylon, September, 10 AE (After the Event) In the capital, Babylon, Justin Clemens explains to his fiancee Azzu-ena where the Nantucketters come from, and why they lack so many things. (Ch.1) Captain Vicky Cofflin needs some quiet from piloting the RNAS Emancipator and climbs to the observation post. Colonel Kathryn Hollard, Queen of Kar-Duniash, is there. They discuss the events surrounding Princess Raupasha of Mitanni, who cut the King of Assyria's throat before being rescued by Brigadier Kenneth Hollard. After subordinating her kingdom to Kar-Duniash, Raupasha had then promised her hand in marriage to Kenneth, unintentionally threatening the political stability between Nantucket, Mitanni and Kar-Duniash. (Ch.2) Justin Clemens and Azzu-ena go to her uncle in order to marry according to local custom. Justin is rich in local terms so after some family resentment, uncle grants permission and Justin and Azzu-ena are quickly married by a scribe. (Ch.7) King Kashtiliash cheers up when the commander of his New Troops arrives and declares that a tribe of Aramaeans has been destroyed, trapped between desert-travelling camelborne troops and the new infantry. Kastiliash, determined that the sand-thieves will not prosper in his history, asks two of his merchants to set out a breeding program for camels, and research ways of using them. The Hollards with Princess Raupasha set off to see the king. Katheryn meets him privately beforehand, but refuses to plead for her brother. Kenneth stands up to Kashtiliash, and Raupasha apologises; Mittanni will remain a province of Kar-Duniash. Kashtiliash allows forgiveness - once. (Ch.8) Raupasha demonstrates the use of 200 new Islander-designed chariots and weapons to her men. (Ch. 10) Troy September, 10 AE Ian Arnstein discusses politics with his wife by radio from besieged Troy. Major Chong shows him the progress of the enemy trenches and new gun positions and tells Ian that they are running out of time. (Ch.10) O'Rourke's Ford, East of Troy September, 10 AE Colonel Patrick O'Rourke and Marines arrive at a Nantucket Forward Supply Post run by Captain Cecilie Barnes. Since Troy is about to fall, his orders are to prepare the outpost for evacuation. Unfortunately the enemy Ringapi move faster than expected. The Ringapi have brought a mortar with them, but before they can move it into effective range, O'Rourke decides to take it out with his mounted Marines and the Gatling gun he has. The Gatling makes short work of the mortar crew and ammunition wagon, but then O'Rourke's team must get back to the base through Ringapi soldiers racing to cut them off - sword and pistol work. (Ch.2) O'Rourke and Barnes turn the Supply Post into a defensive position, using the existing walls, sandbags, ditches, sacks of barley, and hard tack boxes. (Ch.3) (Anyone who has ever seen the British film Zulu can stop reading at this point, and move to the next chapter summary - Ed.) Private Hook is in the infirmary malingering with a boil when O'Rourke's Gatling opens fire. (Ch.6) At breakfast next day, O'Rourke discusses the defences with Captain Barnes and a Hittite officer, Hantilis, when they hear what sounds like a steam engine in the distance. Up on a hillside, two sentries hear the same noise, and hurry back to base with the news that an army of thousands is on its way. (Ch.7) Bugles sound Stand To ''and the company fixes bayonets. Chaplain Smith, an Iraiina convert, quotes from scripture to raise the troops' morale. The enemy take up positions surrounding the base, and the steam-engine noise is explained by the tribesmen beating their spears against shields. Private Hook is winning money with cards when rifles and orders to dig loopholes in the walls arrive. (Ch.8) O'Rourke and Barnes repel the frst charge with volley fire, one man almost making it to the wall. Hantilis spots the Ringapi chief counting the guns. The tribesmen move into forward attack positions, and snipers open fire from the nearest hillside, using captured Werders. Nantucket October, 10 AE Jared Cofflin and his wife Martha are looking after Marian and Swindapa's adopted children as well as their own.(Ch.1) Jared is in discussion with Sam Macy and Emma Carson about immigration quotas and the fate of the clipper ship ''Merrimac, bought by Carson but requisitioned by the Council. Carson was trying to avoid quotas by taking possession of the ship in Alba, where she could also get a cheaper crew. (Ch.2) Alba October 10 AE Marian Alston and her partner Swindapa lead a patrol of mounted Marines back to Irondale after stopping a feud in Sun People territory. The town has grown since they last visited in 4 AE. They stop at an inn run by an ex cadet. (Ch.1) They meet Councillor Ron Leaton who is in Alba setting up a version of the Industrial Revolution with the local coal, iron ore and fireclay. They talk through some problems with Marian's Merrimac project, and discuss getting farm labourers to work machinery all day. (Ch.2) Marian travels down the Severn River to Westhaven, where Merrimac is waiting for her final cargo. She watches an Alban-built deep-ocean ship set sail and reflects on the progress their allies have made. (Ch.4) She takes the opportunity to examine the town and Fort Pentagon, and reflects on the social changes. She is leaving the Alban end of her supply chain in the hands of Gerta Hendriksson. (Ch.6) Merrimac sails to join Marian's fleet of thirty ships now gathering at Portsmouth Base to stock up and embark extra troops - volunteers from the Iraiina and other Sun People tribes, issued with Islander kit. Swindapa greets the Iraiina leader politely, but explains to Marian that the Iraiina are Anglicising themselves and will vanish in a generation: her revenge on them will be completed. Marian watches the troops embarking and reflects on the society that might emerge. (Ch.7) The thirty ship fleet is caught in a storm in the Bay of Biscay. The steam ramship Farragut reports damage and leaks, and'' Merrimac'' is not heard from. (Ch.10) Greater Achaea Walkeropolis, September, 10AE William Walkerstands with his wife Alice Hong and Helmut Mittler his Secret Police chief, looking over his city of Walkeropolis. He muses over how he got where he is, and decides he must have a victory to seal his claim to the throne of Achaea. He must go to the seige at Troy. (Ch.1) Walker publically hands Greater Achaea to Odikweos while he is at war, and makes a sacrifice for victory in the main square. Mittler is to feed information to Odikweos,and is reminded that dead men are useless. Hong drops broad hints of cannibalism, and Odikweos swears to himself that if he gets the opportunity, he will kill her. Walker has noticed all the by-play. (Ch.8) Iberia City of Tartessos, September, 10 AE Isketerol receives an embassy from Greater Achaea on the day that the King 'weds' the Lady of Tartessos in a religious ceremony to bring the rains. Odikweos, King of Ithaka, and Telemakhos his son, bring the good wishes of William Walker and a gift of eighty Dahlgren type guns, manganese, and sulphur, in exchange for cotton and mercury. (Ch.4) American Continent Feather River valley, March, 11 AE Alantethol, leader of the Tartessan Hidden Fort, discusses the smallpox epidemic on the latest ship to arrive. His healer recognised the disease and the cows at the base are now a source of vaccine. Alantethol sees this as a source of advantage over the native Americans - he can vaccinate them or supply smallpox-loaded blankets as he needs to. (Ch.5) Giernas expedition, High Sierras, March, 11 AE Peter Giernas and Sue Chau his wife hunt and butcher two elk and return with the meat to their camp where Eddie Vergaraxsson, Jaditwara, and Spring Indigo, Peter's second wife from the Cloud Shadow tribe, are waiting. Indigo has Peter's year-old son, Jared. Also present is Tidtaway, a local guide and 'interpreter' as he can talk some of the local languages. Peter thinks they are at the edge of Titdaway's ability. The group carry on to the next native tribe. The camp is suspiciously quiet, and Giernas goes alone to investigate. He discovers the entire tribe dead of a disease which he recognises as smallpox. He burns the bodies, the camp, even his clothes, before washing upstream. Almost finished, he spots a single hoof print from a shod horse. (Ch.5) Sue agrees about smallpox, and Pete investigates, discovering that they are in what would be the Feather River valley. There is a fortified settlement of Tartessians in the valley, and Pete estimates they have been there about four years. When Pete talks to the local tribal chief, he learns that the Tartessians are collecting gold nuggets from the locals, killing, and taking slaves to mine mercury ore. He also learns that the Tartessians offer protection against disease, using a cow. He comes up with a plan. (Ch.9)